The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago is offering a free teaching kitthat explains how the Fed works. Intended for high school age, the kit includes a curriculum guide, a movie, presentation on a CD, plus two bags of "Fed Shreds" to facilitate discussions about money supply and what happens to old money. All you have to provide is your shipping address. Postage is free.

Another resource on the Federal Reserve is the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia's Money in Motion. The free exhibit features various electronic stations that teach about the workings of the Fed and other topics, such as the history of money, inflation, how checks are processed, and identity theft. (Just visited the exhibit this past summer when we were in Philadelphia, and it was pretty neat). If you can't get to the exhibit in person, you can take the online virtual tour, which allows you to visit each station from your computer. The Fed of Philadelphia site also has free, K-12 lesson plans on economics and personal finance.